Vela urges TxDOT to cap parts of I-35 through Austin

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” Council Member Chito Vela told his colleagues at Tuesday’s City Council work session, referring to cap-and-stitch opportunities for an expanded Interstate 35 through Austin. Vela had prepared a slideshow for an earlier meeting that was canceled, but he put it to good use on Tuesday, impressing Mayor Kirk Watson, who commented on his preparedness.

Vela envisions an I-35 covered with land for parks, buildings and transit. He also envisions the additional tax money that would be generated by any businesses located on top of the capped highway. Council members Vanessa Fuentes, José Velásquez, Ryan Alter and Zo Qadri have co-sponsored Vela’s resolution.

Any number of individuals and organizations have come out against the state’s plan for expanding the highway, including neighborhood groups such as the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association. However, it’s not clear whether the city could just say no, because the Texas Department of Transportation is in charge of planning and building the extra lanes as well as eliminating some crossings Austinites have relied on for years to help them travel between east and west.

The resolution states, “such long distances between east-west street crossings disconnects communities, encourages speeding, increases pollution, and increases congestion at the remaining intersections, pushing more cars into fewer intersections … (which) forces drivers to take more turns than they would have taken if they could drive straight through, creating more conflict with pedestrians, bikes and other vehicles.”

One particularly worrying part of the TxDOT plan is removal of Woodland Avenue as a crossing, which would result in more than a mile between the Riverside Drive and Oltorf Street crossings, Vela’s resolution notes.

Vela recalled getting on the road early to go to South Texas for hearings when he was a practicing lawyer. His house in District 4 is about half a mile from I-35 and he could see the highway lights from his house, noting that he was no doubt breathing in the pollution. He said people in his district are enthusiastic about the possibility of capping the highway and getting rid of the pollution it produces.

Velásquez is also concerned about the possibility of water pollution resulting from expansion of the highway. In a proposed amendment, Velásquez notes that expanding the highway would generate additional trash and rubber and chemical pollution. He is particularly concerned about pollution of Lady Bird Lake between I-35 and the Longhorn Dam, as well as the Colorado River around Roy G. Guerrero Park. He is offering an amendment stating that the I-35 project “should include water quality controls to treat and filter runoff.”

Vela said the University of Texas has apparently reached some kind of agreement with TxDOT about capping the highway between 15th Street and Dean Keeton Street. He said he was excited about the prospect of uniting the various athletic facilities that sit east and west of I-35, and noted that he was expecting the “best tailgating in the country” on those caps.

When asked how TxDOT or the city would pay for all the caps he is envisioning, Vela told the Austin Monitor that the state transportation department “has been pretty consistent that any enhancements are the city’s cost to bear,” including the caps, the structural support for the caps, and the required fire suppression equipment.

He added, “There are a handful of options. I believe there are substantial funds from the federal government basically trying to undo some of the damage freeways did in the past. But I think the principal source of funds would be a TIF (tax increment financing) or TIRZ (tax increment reinvestment zone) for the property surrounding I-35. I would like to cap everything from downtown to 51st Street.” He is also supportive of a bond, at least for part of the financing.

Council Member Ryan Alter has put forth the following amendment: “The city manager is directed to conduct a valuation of the potential right of way that could developed by fully capping and tunneling the I-35 Capital Express Central Project as envisioned by the Reconnect Austin plan, and what financing options exist for development and maintenance, including a TIRZ.” The amendment directs the city manager to bring findings back to City Council no later than April 19.

Photo made available through a Creative Commons license.

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